By Zukile Majova
- Acting president Gwede Mantashe slams Israel for its ongoing attacks on Palestine at the Freedom Day event.
- South Africa’s case against Israel struggles to gain support among Christian citizens back home.
South Africa’s acting president Gwede Mantashe has used his short time in office to launch a fierce attack on Israel’s bombing of Palestine.
Speaking at the main Freedom Day celebrations at AJ Swanepoel Stadium in Ermelo, Mpumalanga, Mantashe backed South Africa’s charge of genocide against Israel at the United Nations International Court of Justice.
Addressing a mostly Christian country, Mantashe urged citizens to reject Israel’s violence.
“I know because you are a Christian, you think that Israel is a chosen land but even if you believe in that, appreciate that when there is genocide, there is no choice that gives them a right to kill people in their thousands,” he said.
Many South Africans, especially those from Christian backgrounds, have not connected with the government’s case against Israel. Instead of seeing it as a human rights fight, some view it as the ANC defending allies like Hamas, Yemen and Iran.
ANC leaders, wearing Palestinian keffiyehs, struggle to convince the nation that their anti-Israel stance is not politically driven.
Mantashe, who is the national chairperson of the ANC, became acting president after Cyril Ramaphosa caught a fever and deputy president Paul Mashatile attended a family funeral.
He said South Africa would continue to support oppressed people across the world, including those in Western Sahara, Sudan, Eastern DRC and Yemen.
“We are committed to playing our part to bring about an end to conflict and suffering and war. That is our inclination as a country,” he said.
Mantashe also took aim at the United States and president Donald Trump, who accused South Africa of genocide against white farmers and land grabs.
“We are a free country, we are a sovereign country, we are not a province of the United States… We will not allow anyone to define us, tell us what to do or who we are. We must reject all attempts to divide us or racialise us,” said Mantashe.
Pictured above: Acting president Gwede Mantashe.
Image source: GCIS
